- 2020/2021 Season Nullified By BFA NEC
BONGANI MALUNGA
The Botswana Football Association National Executive Committee (NEC) has resolved to declare the 2020/2021 local football null and void. Following countless attempts to resume football activities the NEC took a unanimous decision to nullify the season which had widely been expected to begin in and around August last year.
The decision was made at a BFA NEC board meeting in Gaborone over the weekend, bring to an end feint hopes of a 2020/2021 season. Plans to finish the 2020 Orange FA Cup,
which was disrupted by COVID-19, were already in motion but the recent announcement appears to have also nullified a competition which was halted at the quarterfinal stage last year.
In February unconfirmed drafts of league fixtures started circulating as competitive football was rumoured to be close to returning, however, newly announced COVID-19 restrictions in response to rising cases dashed such hopes. Sporting activities were restricted for the month of March and that meant that football could return in April.
A two month window to complete the 2020/2021 season would have been a mountain to climb for both the Botswana Football League and the clubs involved as they would have to
draw up a demanding fixture list.
Also in February, a document believed to have been compiled by the BFA Competitions Committee presented the idea of a pre-season like mini league to keep local clubs active to prepare for the 2021/2022 season.
The mini league would have started during the last week of February and planned to end in May. It was an all inclusive league which would have included the Premier League, Debswana First Division, regional leagues and women’s football.
The Competitions Committee believed that “lessons learned during the successful hosting of the promotional playoffs will come in handy during the mini league period.”
Football clubs and coaches around the country warmed up to the idea but it has since been shelved as COVID-19 restrictions as well as the financial burden of adhering to health protocols still present a challenge to local clubs.